


'Cause castles crumble, kingdoms fall and turn into sand

by Lookatallmyships



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Age Difference, Dwarf!Reader, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Healer!Reader, M/M, Mild emotional hurt/comfort, Reader Insert, gender ambiguous!reader, non-graphic mentions of injuries, takes place after the events of the hobbit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:15:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23506720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lookatallmyships/pseuds/Lookatallmyships
Summary: As Oin's apprentice, you're tasked with watching over the infirmary while the healer is occupied elsewhere. Much to your surprise, a certain miner turns up in need of healing.
Relationships: Bofur (Tolkien)/Reader, Reader & Oin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42





	'Cause castles crumble, kingdoms fall and turn into sand

**Author's Note:**

> My reasoning behind your ages incase anyone is interested:  
> So according to the dwarrow scholar, dwarves come of age at 40 (While still not fully being an adult. Perhaps this is like turning 16 for humans?), but are battle ready at age 30 (likened to 14 year old soldiers during WWl). Going by this, let's say that dwarves can start apprenticing at 30 because if you're old enough to die then you're old enough to learn a trade. The dwarrow scholar says that dwarves are considered fully fledged adults by age 65. So for the purposes of this fic, lets say that the reader and their family came to Erebor after it was reclaimed by the company when they were still fairly young, began their apprenticeship with Oin the minute they turned 30. and have just recently had their 65th birthday, making them an adult. I imagine this would be similar to turning 18. When the events of The Hobbit take place, Bofur is between 132 and 178 according to the tolkiengateway.net wiki page for him, so lets say he's somewhere at the latter end of that range. Regardless, there is a significant age difference between you. Now that I've killed you with exposition, I hope that makes sense!

As a dwarfling, you had grown up hearing tales of Erebor. Both of your parents lived within the mountain’s halls before the dragon came. Your parent’s faces always became grim when conversation turned to the dragon, but they still told you of the events of that fateful day once you were old enough to understand. They said that every dwarrow deserved to know the story. Though you had never set foot inside the mountain, Erebor was still rightfully your home.

They likely wouldn’t have made it out, if they hadn’t been on their way back from the market when the alarms sounded. They’d tried to pick up arms and help the other dwarrow defend their home, but quickly realized it was hopeless. They barely managed to escape together as the city was being attacked.

Your parents left the mountain on foot with a group of other dwarves who had managed to escape. Your adad had family in the blue mountains, so they sent word ahead to tell of their survival and plan to journey to the mountains. It took awhile to make their way there, doing odd jobs for people along the way whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Eventually they arrived and managed to settle into a modest home within the mountain, your mother working as a seamstress and your father a sort of jack of all trades. Your parents never had much, but they never lost sight of how much more they could have lost. After a time, they became pregnant with you and they could not have been happier.

After your parents told you the tale that night, you made sure to never ask your father to repeat it. You knew he would never begrudge you for asking asking, but the look on his face had struck pain in your heart. Whenever you had any questions about the day the dragon came from then on, you would wait until you and your amad were alone.

By the time your parents heard word that Prince Thorin was calling for an army of dwarves to follow on a quest to retake the mountain, you were still young- a few years off from your majority yet. You know your parents would have joined him if they could, but your mother refused to risk leaving you alone and your father was needed in the blue mountains. They had so few workers as it is, and to loose an able-bodies hand who knew how to farm would have been a great blow to the community.

Against all odds, the company of thirteen dwarves, a hobbit, and a wizard managed to reclaim the dwarve’s ancestral home.

-

After triple checking that he has everything he needs, Oin closes his traveling bag full of medical supplies and slings it over his shoulder. “Are you sure you’ll be alright here while I’m gone?”

You laugh. This is the fifth times the old healer has asked you this morning. “Yes! It’s not like you’ll be gone for more than a week at most, and Lake-town is close enough that I could send someone to fetch you if there was an emergency I couldn’t handle.”

About a month ago, Bard had been visiting Erebor on a routine meeting to discuss trade agreements between Erebor and Dale. Before leaving, Bard explained that there was a woman in Lake-town who had experienced complications with her first child and was now pregnant with her second. While Lake-Town’s healer is skilled in his own right, Oin is known for having helped with many complicated deliveries in the past. Bard explained that he was hoping that Oin would be willing to sit in during the birth, just as an extra pair of hands in case anything went wrong, and of course Oin had agreed. This morning they’d received a raven with a message stating that the woman was expected to give birth any day now.

Oin sighs. “Right you are, of course.”

“Besides” you smile. “You’ve trained me well.”

The healer chuckles and claps you on the shoulder. “And a fine apprentice you’ve been! Soon there will come a day, where you won’t even need me anymore.”

You beam, genuinely touched by the old dwarf’s words. Since you were little, you’ve always known that you wanted to be a healer. After settling in Erebor you still had to wait several years, but as soon as you turned old enough to begin an apprenticeship, you went straight to Oin and asked if he would be willing to teach you. Now at age 65, you’ve come to consider Oin as something of an uncle and you know he feels the same. While you’ve learned a lot from him since you first started, you know there’s still so much more to learn.

“Now now, you won’t get rid of me that easily!” You grin cheekily when Oin chuckles in response. “You better get out of here before someone comes calling for you. I’m pretty sure I saw Master Orin’s sons heading towards the training grounds this morning on my way.”

Oin rolls his eyes with a grimace. “If those lads make it to their majority in one piece, it will be a bloody miracle.”

-

After Oin leaves, you busy yourself with neatening up the healer’s quarters. You’re taking inventory of the supply cabinets, when you hear a tentative knock at the door. Setting down the bottle of ground ginger you’d been holding, you glance over curiously. Usually people just walk in when they need something. “Come in!” you call.

You face lights up when Bofur walks through the door. “Master Bofur! I would have thought you’d be down in the mines at this time of day.”

You’ve had a crush on the miner since you were a tween. Because of the large age difference between you, you fear that Bofur will only ever see you as a child. For the most part you’d managed to give up any hope of the other dwarf returning your feelings, but unfortunately that didn’t stop you from pining like a besotted fool.

“Lass, how many times have I told you to just call me Bofur?” he shakes his head with a smile. “Funny that you should say that actually, I just came from there. I seem to have hurt my shoulder- got hit by a piece of falling rock.”

Frowning, you direct him to sit on the exam table. “I sounds serious, was anyone else hurt?”

“No, they’re fine. I was the only one dumb enough not to get out of the way” Bofur laughs.

Deciding to let his self-deprecating joke go for the moment, you wash your hands in the basin full of boiled water that you make sure to keep fresh. “Alright, where are you injured?”

Bofur goes to move his right arm before stopping with a wince of pain. “My shoulder took the brunt of it. Not sure how bad, the lads forced me to come see you right after it happened.”

“Of course, they did!” you smirk. “Especially since I yelled at them last time you got hurt and they let you not do anything about it for hours until your work was finished for the day.”

You aren’t surprised that the miners hadn’t wanted a repeat of that scolding.

Bofur laughs, a bright and joyous sound that makes your stomach flutter. “I wish I could have been there for that. I bet you can be right terrifying, when it suits you” he teases good naturedly.

You snort. While not unusually short for a dwarrow, you’re definitely on the shorter side at only four feet three inches. You’re many things, but you highly doubt ‘intimidating’ is one of them. 

Hands clean, you move to stand beside the dwarf. “Alright, let’s take a look at that shoulder.” You look Bofur over and you’re thankful to see he’s only wearing a simple undershirt, as is common for those working in the mines. While it’s naturally cool deep in the caverns, swinging a pickaxe works wonders to quickly raise your body temperature. You would hate to cause any more pain than necessary, and it would surely hurt to remove a tunic and jacket.

After helping Bofur unbutton his shirt, you carefully ease it off his shoulders. You catch sight of his right side and wince. “Ouch. That looks like it must have hurt.” Bofur’s right shoulder is almost entirely covered in abrasions, with a couple deeper cuts here and there. You gently prod the skin, assessing how deep the wounds are. “Good news though, you don’t need stitches!”

Bofur smiles. “That is good news. I’ll be back in the mines in no time, then!”

Placing your hands on your hips, you frown. “I don’t want you back in the mines until you aren’t in danger of reopening these cuts! Do you hear me? Doctor’s orders.”

Bofur throws his head back in laughter. “Aye. Far be it from me, to go against the doctor’s orders.”

Satisfied by the dwarf’s response, you toss the blood and dirt stained shirt off to the side to either be mended or burned. With that out of the way, you begin rummaging through one of the supply cabinets. Once you’ve gathered a few clean pieces of cloth, bandages, and a mixture for sterilizing the wounds as well as a salve to promote healing, you return to Bofur’s side.

You gently go about the process of cleaning the injuries with one of the clean cloths soaked in the mixture. Once that’s done, you open the jar of salve. Dipping the corner of a second cloth into the mixture, you smile apologetically. “This might sting a little.”

Bofur hisses when you dab at his skin.

You wince. “I’m sorry. I’m almost done.” Bofur waves off your apology, so you continue your careful ministrations.

Once the entire area is covered, you carefully place a piece of gauze over the worst of the wounds. It will need to be changed periodically, but it will help keep the wounds clean as well as preventing the salve from being rubbed off. Keeping the gauze in place with one hand, you look around to see where you set the final strip of cloth, frowning when you don’t find it.

Bofur reaches beside himself out of your line of sight, before passing you the strip of fabric.

You accept it with a smile. “Thank you.”

As you begin wrapping it around Bofur’s shoulder, you’re forced to lean in close so you can wind it under his arm and tie it securely enough to keep the gauze in place.

You glance up at the other dwarf, face heating when you realize how little space is between you.

Bofur gazes into your eyes for a few moments before slowly leaning forward and brushing his lips against yours.

You gasp in surprise before leaning into the kiss.

Bofur raises his hand in an aborted attempt to cup your face, instead wincing in pain when it causes the skin on his shoulder to pull.

Remembering where you are, you take a quick step backwards. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” You look from Bofur’s face, to his hurt shoulder, then down to stare at your feet. “That was incredibly unprofessional, I can’t imagine what you-“

Bofur surprises you by taking your hand in his, this time using his left. “Y/n, _Lukhudel_. It was I that kissed you, any fault lies solely with me.”

You look up in surprise at the term of endearment falling so easily from Bofur’s lips.

“I hadn’t meant for you to find out like this.” Staring at his hands in his lap, the dwarf scoffs. “Or at all.”

“Bofur-,” you try to interrupt, but your attempt goes unheeded.

“I’m sorry, I never meant to burden you with my feelings.”

Unable to listen to Bofur continue speaking with such self-loathing in his voice any longer, you surge forward and kiss the injured miner.

Bofur makes a soft sound of surprise, and then he is kissing you back enthusiastically. The kiss deepens into something heavy with emotion. Bofur nips at your lower lip and you’re distantly aware of your burying themselves in his messy braids. The kiss continues on like this for several moments, before slowing and once more shifting into something gentle and sweet.

The both of you break apart, lungs protesting the lack of oxygen.

“Y/n- you.” Bofur looks at you with a cautiously hopeful look on his face. “Are you sure you want this?”

You grab Bofur’s hands in yours, careful not to jostle his right side. “Bofur, I’ve been in love with you since I was old enough to know what that meant. I- I never thought you could possibly feel the same.” Thick with emotion, your voice comes out wobbly.

“Oh Lukhudel, please don’t cry.” Still seated on the table, he pulls you forward into an embrace. “Are you sure this is what you want? You’re so young, you have your whole life ahead of you. Mahal, I’m old enough to be your father.”

“That doesn’t matter to me. You’re handsome and funny and sweet, I’ve seen the way to keep an eye out for your brother and your cousin, you’re one of the bravest dwarves I’ve ever met. How could I not love you?”

Throughout your speech, you’d been bashfully staring at your joined hands. After a moment of silence, you glance back up to see Bofur gazing at you with a look of wonder in his eyes.

“Amralime-“

Whatever he was about to say, is interrupted by the door bursting open. Jumping in surprise, your heads whip around to face the door.

A young dwarfling runs into the infirmary, eyes wide. “Rutick got hurt while he was training- I think his arm is broken!”

Letting go of Bofur’s hands, you walk over and pat the boy on the shoulder. “Alright, thank you for telling me. Is Rutick still on the training grounds?” He says yes and you smile gently. “Ok. Can you go tell them that I’ll be right there in just a minute?”

With a grave nod, the dwarfling runs back out the door at full speed.

“Isn’t Rutick Master Orin’s lad?”

You sigh. “It is, indeed.”

Bofur laughs and hops down from the table. “You’d better go make sure he’s alright.” Suddenly his smile turns shy. “After you’re done with your healer duties, could we maybe pick up where we left off?”

You beam. “I’d love to. I’ll come find you when I’m done making sure Rutick isn’t in danger of dying” you say as you grab your emergency medical bag.

Bofur’s laughter follows you out the door.

**Author's Note:**

> Lukhudel – Light of all Lights  
> -  
> Title comes from the song How Did You Love by Shinedown.  
> -  
> Somehow these reader inserts always get away from me and wind up being way longer than they have any right to be.  
> -  
> Have an idea for a reader-insert fic that you like to see written? I can't promise anything because motivation and inspiration are fleeting, but I'm happy to take suggestions.


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